Tag: Texas

Road Trip Day 2 – Austin to Springtown to OK (and cats)

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If I were an animal, I would definitely want to be some sort of cat. Today, I got to visit my son and his wife and their multiple beautiful felines. They live out in the country in a geodesic dome home built in the 70’s, and perfect location to enjoy nature and cats.

It was rainy when I left Austin, but before long the sky cleared and it was another beautiful, hot, day. I decided to take highway 183 which runs parallel to the interstate heading up to Fort Worth. I enjoyed the hillier, more picturesque route through the small towns along the route. Did you know there is a place called Fairy, Texas? It was uneventful, I saw a lot of cows, and wished I could take pictures while I was driving. Springtown is a small town to the west of Fort Worth, and I timed my arrival to coincide with lunch. Smart, right?

My son was putting the finishing touches on some Texas sized egg/mushroom/pepper/cheese burritos, and they were delicious and filling.

Filling for the yummy burritos

The rest of the afternoon was spent catching up and playing with and petting the cats.

These are four of the ten or so cats they currently have. The black and white’s name is Moo, and he’s the boss!

I enjoyed the afternoon, and David packed me another burrito for my supper. They don’t have guest quarters, so I drove another 100 miles north to get a head start on tomorrow, and am spending the night in Ardmore, Oklahoma.

Me and my son David
Me with David and his wife Roni

Next stop: TBD.

Road Trip Day 1 – Houston to Austin

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Smog hung heavy over Houston as I headed west out of the city. It was 80 degrees at 8 am, with the promise of heat and humidity. Mile after mile of flat grassland flashed past as I drove the familiar route down 290. I was super happy to be on the road again.

Can’t really take decent pictures when you’re driving

I always love it when I get to Washington County, known for being “the birthplace of Texas”. It’s like a magical change. The landscape morphs to rolling hills, with long white painted fences edging the roads, cows grazing on lush green grass, remnants of summer flowers still blooming. The sky, by this time, was blue with ever changing white clouds, and the sun was shining.

Not really a picture of rolling hills, but definitely prettier

I decided to stop in Brenham, at the Bluebell Creamery. It was only 9:30 in the morning, but I couldn’t pass by without getting a generous scoop of ice cream for only a dollar! I chose Millennium Crunch, an all time favorite. In case you didn’t know it, Bluebell ice cream is famous in Texas, and I was raised believing it was the best ice cream in the world. I guess I still think it is.

I enjoyed the rest of the ride to Austin, arriving at my daughter’s apartment just in time for her to fix me a delicious lunch sandwich. She is vegan and I am vegetarian, and we enjoyed lightly sauteed tempeh with avocado, lettuce, and tomato on rye bread, with plantain chips. I forgot to take a picture.

We just had the one afternoon, and really just wanted to hang out together. Since it was so hot (in the 90’s by then), we decided to stay in and watch a movie. We chose The Out of Towners with Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis, and it didn’t disappoint. I’m going to have to check out the remake with Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn.

We wanted to go out and take a walk in one of the wilderness areas, but decided to wait til the sun was down. It was time to think about food again, and this time I was treated to a bowl of batter fried tofu, rice, and sauteed veggies. Again, deliciious and satisfying.

yum

After that we took a short walk through a forested area nearby.

Me and my daughter Gillian

I’ve been to Austin dozens of times in the 12 years since she moved here to go to college. Usually we and siblings who have been along go to restaurants, shops, events. It’s different now, and not just because of the pandemic. This time it was about just being with this one special person, and for me, experiencing anew the gratefulness I have for this human’s presence in my life.

No place like home

Sara MoserLeave a comment

After taking two trips in a month, fantastic as they were, it is great to be home, be it ever so humble.

It took me about three days to recover from the 10 mile hike in the mountains of Montana after the late nights exploring Yellowstone! The air here on the Texas Gulf Coast is thick with humidity, it has rained torrentially followed by suffocating heat.  But here I have an incredible partner who I share daily love with. I have my writing corner, my books, my art supplies, my view. My little granddaughter isn’t too far away, and she loves her “sassy”!

My lake isn’t the clear blue of the lakes in Montana, but it is beautiful and it is home. home lake

We are expecting more rain today with the arrival of Tropical Storm Bill. I’m heading off to work this morning, and hoping I can get home! One of the biggest dangers around here when we have a lot of rain is flash floods. People get in big trouble when they attempt to drive through water and it is either deeper than they thought or rises quickly while they are in it. The storm is heading for a bit south of here so we will be on the wet side of it.

Another day, another adventure!

Iowa day 4 – going home, musings, and a little history

Sara Moser2 Comments

Today I head home. Rachel and Geoff left for church around 9:30, and I departed shortly afterward. The train that was passing when I left was a double decker, which stopped for a few minutes, then started backwards. I wonder what that was all about.

I decided that I couldn’t leave town without visiting Cafe Diem one more time. Their coffee is really good, and I wanted another waffle. It is a good place to hang out and write. I had originally thought to drive into Des Moines and find a coffee shop there, but the warm and friendly atmosphere here beckoned me to come inside.

After I ate my delicious waffle, I spent a little time browsing around looking at travel blogs, and all the ones I found are to exotic faraway places. My little trip to Ames pales in comparison in some respects, but I am of the opinion that everywhere is interesting. Here’s a little information about this quaint midwest city, from Wikipedia:

The city was founded in 1864 as a station stop on the Cedar Rapids and Missouri Railroad and was named after 19th century U.S. Congressman Oakes Ames of Massachusetts, who was influential in the building of the transcontinental railroad. Ames was founded by local resident Cynthia Olive Duff  and railroad magnate John Insley Blair,near a location that was deemed favorable for a railroad crossing of the Skunk River.

Ames is also the home of Iowa State University, whose campus takes up a major part of the city proper, and whose mascot can be found around town in various attire. This mirror mosaic version on Main Street is my favorite!

 

Writing while I wait in the Des Moines airport…

 I love to take back roads, when I have time, so I took the opportunity. Miles and miles and miles of newly planted cornfields flew past me. I marveled at the wide open spaces, and the big sky. Very mind clearing and heart opening. Along the way, I got a phone call that my flight was delayed 45 min. So I got here with time to spare, still feeling pretty relaxed.
Announcement overhead: They need 12 volunteers to check their carry on bags or they will check boarding group 4’s bags. I’m in boarding group 4, and I want to hang on to my bag! If I didn’t have a connection I’d check it, but I don’t trust the airline to care about my stuff and get it moved to the right plane.
Another announcement: The flight is overbooked and they need 6 volunteers to take a later flight. Are you kidding me? Does this happen all the time? Seems crazy to me. What do they do if no one volunteers? Draw straws?
Now at Dallas Fort Worth Airport….
No rushing this time. Google just notified me that my connecting flight is delayed 2 hours!!

Obviously, I made it onto the plane and they didn’t confiscate my bag. I was imagining myself wrestling someone over it, and am very glad that fantasy didn’t come to pass! I had a window seat this time, so I got to see the farmland from the air, and later the beautiful changing clouds as we flew above them. I was very hungry when I got here, glad for some time to rest and recoup. I got a veggie burger at a place called UFood Grill. It had to be the worst veggie burger ever. I only ate a few bites, but the baked potato fries were a little better, so I ate enough of them to ease my hunger pangs. Airport food, yuk. By this time I was feeling very imbalanced, shaky, and tired.

So I decided to sit right there in the middle of the busy airport and meditate. I wrapped my silk shawl around me (I had read that silk can keep negative energy away), put one hand on my suitcase, closed my eyes, and went inward. It was an interesting endeavor, and 20 minutes later I opened my eyes feeling more grounded and alert.
Checking google on my phone, I found that my flight is delayed even more, not leaving here until 10:12 pm, arriving in Houston at 11:30. Then I have to get my car, and drive the 30 min home.
I again observe the people around me. Young, old, all shapes and sizes, some rushing frantically to catch their next flight, others taking their time, or just sitting. People on their phones. I wonder about their stories. I see a team of adolescent girls all dressed alike, most likely returning home from a tournament . There are couples, friends, family groups, lone travelers like me. Some are traveling for a happy visit, or a wedding, some for a funeral. This is an international airport, so I see a diverse crowd and hear snatches of different languages.

The masses of humanity are everywhere. Tomorrow I return to work, to the patients and coworkers who are a part of it all too. Everywhere there is life, hope, and heartbreak. I am glad to be on this journey, one soul touching other souls.

Epilogue:
The plane didn’t take off from Dallas until midnight. Delay after delay until I was too tired to care, or write, or even sleep. I finally got home to my sweetie at 2 am! I am very glad I made this trip, and reconnected with my daughter. It’s been a long time since we had one on one time.